Surgical instruments with separable motors and motor control circuits

ABSTRACT

A surgical system is disclosed including a motor cartridge and a drive assembly. The motor cartridge is removably positionable in an enclosure and removably couplable with the surgical system. The motor cartridge includes a first motor including a first drive shaft, a first motor control circuit in electrical communication with the first motor, a second motor including a second drive shaft, and a second motor control circuit in electrical communication with the second motor. The drive assembly is removably couplable with the motor cartridge. The drive assembly includes a first rotatable input configured to be driven by the first drive shaft, a second rotatable input configured to be driven by the second drive shaft, a first rotatable output configured to provide a first control motion, a second rotatable output configured to provide a second control motion, and a third rotatable output configured to provide a third control motion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application claiming priority under35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/984,552, entitledSURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH SEPARABLE MOTORS AND MOTOR CONTROL CIRCUITS,filed Dec. 30, 2015, now U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2017/0189020, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference herein.

This application is related to commonly-owned U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/984,488, titled MECHANISMS FOR COMPENSATING FOR BATTERY PACKFAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, filed Dec. 30, 2015, now U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0189018 and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/984,525, titled MECHANISMS FOR COMPENSATING FORDRIVETRAIN FAILURE IN POWERED SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, filed Dec. 30, 2015,now U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0189019, each of whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to surgical instruments and, in variousarrangements, to surgical stapling and cutting instruments and staplecartridges for use therewith that are designed to staple and cut tissue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the various aspects are set forth with particularity inthe appended claims. The various aspects, however, both as toorganization and methods of operation, together with advantages thereof,may best be understood by reference to the following description, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, disassembled view of an electromechanicalsurgical system including a surgical instrument, an adapter, and an endeffector, according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is perspective, exploded view of the surgical instrument of FIG.1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a top, partially-disassembled view of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a front, perspective view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1with the adapter separated therefrom, according to at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a side, cross-sectional view of the surgical instrument ofFIG. 1, as taken through 7-7 of FIG. 2, according to at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a top, cross-sectional view of the surgical instrument of FIG.1, as taken through 8-8 of FIG. 2, according to at least one aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective, exploded view of a end effector of FIG. 1,according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10A is a top view of a locking member according to at least oneaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the locking member of FIG. 10Aaccording to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the surgical instrument of FIG. 1according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view, with parts separated, of anelectromechanical surgical system in accordance with at least one aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a rear, perspective view of a shaft assembly and a poweredsurgical instrument, of the electromechanical surgical system of FIG.12, illustrating a connection therebetween, according to at least aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view, with parts separated, of the shaftassembly of FIG. 13, according to at least aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view, with parts separated of a transmissionhousing of the shaft assembly of FIG. 13, according to at least aspectof the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a first gear train system that issupported in the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a second gear train system that issupported in the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a third drive shaft that is supportedin the transmission housing of FIG. 15, according to at least aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a surgical instrument, according to atleast one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19A is a top view of the surgical instrument of FIG. 19, accordingto at least aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19B is a partial exploded view of the surgical instrument of FIG.19, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a motor cartridge, according to atleast aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a circuit diagram of various components of the surgicalinstrument of FIG. 20, according to at least aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 22 is a logic diagram outlining a method of monitoring the healthof a motor cartridge, according to at least aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 23 is a logic diagram outlining a method that employs a currentsensor to monitor the health of a motor cartridge, according to at leastaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 24 is a logic diagram outlining a module of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 20, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 25 is a logic diagram outlining a module of the surgical instrumentof FIG. 20, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION

Before explaining various forms of surgical instruments with separablemotors and motor control circuits in detail, it should be noted that theillustrative forms are not limited in application or use to the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and description. The illustrative forms may be implemented orincorporated in other forms, variations and modifications, and may bepracticed or carried out in various ways. Further, unless otherwiseindicated, the terms and expressions employed herein have been chosenfor the purpose of describing the illustrative forms for the convenienceof the reader and are not for the purpose of limitation thereof.

Further, it is understood that any one or more of thefollowing-described forms, expressions of forms, examples, can becombined with any one or more of the other following-described forms,expressions of forms, and examples.

Various forms are directed to surgical instruments with separable motorsand motor control circuits. In one form, the surgical instruments withseparable motors and motor control circuits may be configured for use inopen surgical procedures, but has applications in other types ofsurgery, such as laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic-assistedprocedures.

FIGS. 1-18 depict various aspects of a surgical system that is generallydesignated as 10, and is in the form of a powered hand heldelectromechanical instrument configured for selective attachment theretoof a plurality of different end effectors that are each configured foractuation and manipulation by the powered hand held electromechanicalsurgical instrument. The aspects of FIGS. 1-18 are disclosed in U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0110453, filed Oct. 23, 2012,and titled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH RAPID POST EVENT DETECTION, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0282052, filed Jun. 19, 2013,and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES, and U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2013/0274722, filed May 10, 2013, and titledAPPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a surgical instrument 100 is configured forselective connection with an adapter 200, and, in turn, adapter 200 isconfigured for selective connection with an end effector or single useloading unit or reload 300. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the surgicalinstrument 100 includes a handle housing 102 having a lower housingportion 104, an intermediate housing portion 106 extending from and/orsupported on lower housing portion 104, and an upper housing portion 108extending from and/or supported on intermediate housing portion 106.Intermediate housing portion 106 and upper housing portion 108 areseparated into a distal half-section 110 a that is integrally formedwith and extending from the lower portion 104, and a proximalhalf-section 110 b connectable to distal half-section 110 a by aplurality of fasteners. When joined, distal and proximal half-sections110 a, 110 b define a handle housing 102 having a cavity 102 a thereinin which a circuit board 150 and a drive mechanism 160 is situated.

Distal and proximal half-sections 110 a, 110 b are divided along a planethat traverses a longitudinal axis “X” of upper housing portion 108, asseen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Handle housing 102 includes a gasket 112extending completely around a rim of distal half-section and/or proximalhalf-section 110 a, 110 b and being interposed between distalhalf-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b. Gasket 112 seals theperimeter of distal half-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b.Gasket 112 functions to establish an air-tight seal between distalhalf-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110 b such that circuitboard 150 and drive mechanism 160 are protected from sterilizationand/or cleaning procedures.

In this manner, the cavity 102 a of handle housing 102 is sealed alongthe perimeter of distal half-section 110 a and proximal half-section 110b yet is configured to enable easier, more efficient assembly of circuitboard 150 and a drive mechanism 160 in handle housing 102.

Intermediate housing portion 106 of handle housing 102 provides ahousing in which circuit board 150 is situated. Circuit board 150 isconfigured to control the various operations of surgical instrument 100.

Lower housing portion 104 of surgical instrument 100 defines an aperture(not shown) formed in an upper surface thereof and which is locatedbeneath or within intermediate housing portion 106. The aperture oflower housing portion 104 provides a passage through which wires 152pass to electrically interconnect electrical components (a battery 156,as illustrated in FIG. 4, a circuit board 154, as illustrated in FIG. 3,etc.) situated in lower housing portion 104 with electrical components(circuit board 150, drive mechanism 160, etc.) situated in intermediatehousing portion 106 and/or upper housing portion 108.

Handle housing 102 includes a gasket 103 disposed within the aperture oflower housing portion 104 (not shown) thereby plugging or sealing theaperture of lower housing portion 104 while allowing wires 152 to passtherethrough. Gasket 103 functions to establish an air-tight sealbetween lower housing portion 106 and intermediate housing portion 108such that circuit board 150 and drive mechanism 160 are protected fromsterilization and/or cleaning procedures.

As shown, lower housing portion 104 of handle housing 102 provides ahousing in which a rechargeable battery 156, is removably situated.Battery 156 is configured to supply power to any of the electricalcomponents of surgical instrument 100. Lower housing portion 104 definesa cavity (not shown) into which battery 156 is inserted. Lower housingportion 104 includes a door 105 pivotally connected thereto for closingcavity of lower housing portion 104 and retaining battery 156 therein.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, distal half-section 110 a of upperhousing portion 108 defines a nose or connecting portion 108 a. A nosecone 114 is supported on nose portion 108 a of upper housing portion108. Nose cone 114 is fabricated from a transparent material. A feedbackindicator such as, for example, an illumination member 116 is disposedwithin nose cone 114 such that illumination member 116 is visibletherethrough. Illumination member 116 is may be a light emitting diodeprinted circuit board (LED PCB). Illumination member 116 is configuredto illuminate multiple colors with a specific color pattern beingassociated with a unique discrete event.

Upper housing portion 108 of handle housing 102 provides a housing inwhich drive mechanism 160 is situated. As illustrated in FIG. 5, drivemechanism 160 is configured to drive shafts and/or gear components inorder to perform the various operations of surgical instrument 100. Inparticular, drive mechanism 160 is configured to drive shafts and/orgear components in order to selectively move tool assembly 304 of endeffector 300 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) relative to proximal body portion 302of end effector 300, to rotate end effector 300 about a longitudinalaxis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative to handle housing 102, to move anvilassembly 306 relative to cartridge assembly 308 of end effector 300,and/or to fire a stapling and cutting cartridge within cartridgeassembly 308 of end effector 300.

The drive mechanism 160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162 that islocated immediately proximal relative to adapter 200. Proximal to theselector gearbox assembly 162 is a function selection module 163 havinga first motor 164 that functions to selectively move gear elementswithin the selector gearbox assembly 162 into engagement with an inputdrive component 165 having a second motor 166.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, and as mentioned above, distal half-section110 a of upper housing portion 108 defines a connecting portion 108 aconfigured to accept a corresponding drive coupling assembly 210 ofadapter 200.

As illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, connecting portion 108 a of surgicalinstrument 100 has a cylindrical recess 108 b that receives a drivecoupling assembly 210 of adapter 200 when adapter 200 is mated tosurgical instrument 100. Connecting portion 108 a houses three rotatabledrive connectors 118, 120, 122.

When adapter 200 is mated to surgical instrument 100, each of rotatabledrive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100 couples with acorresponding rotatable connector sleeve 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200 asshown in FIG. 6. In this regard, the interface between correspondingfirst drive connector 118 and first connector sleeve 218, the interfacebetween corresponding second drive connector 120 and second connectorsleeve 220, and the interface between corresponding third driveconnector 122 and third connector sleeve 222 are keyed such thatrotation of each of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 causes a corresponding rotation of the correspondingconnector sleeve 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200.

The mating of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100with connector sleeves 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200 allows rotationalforces to be independently transmitted via each of the three respectiveconnector interfaces. The drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 are configured to be independently rotated by drivemechanism 160. In this regard, the function selection module 163 ofdrive mechanism 160 selects which drive connector or connectors 118,120, 122 of surgical instrument 100 is to be driven by the input drivecomponent 165 of drive mechanism 160.

Since each of drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgical instrument 100has a keyed and/or substantially non-rotatable interface with respectiveconnector sleeves 218, 220, 222 of adapter 200, when adapter 200 iscoupled to surgical instrument 100, rotational force(s) are selectivelytransferred from drive mechanism 160 of surgical instrument 100 toadapter 200.

The selective rotation of drive connector(s) 118, 120 and/or 122 ofsurgical instrument 100 allows surgical instrument 100 to selectivelyactuate different functions of end effector 300. Selective andindependent rotation of first drive connector 118 of surgical instrument100 corresponds to the selective and independent opening and closing oftool assembly 304 of end effector 300, and driving of a stapling/cuttingcomponent of tool assembly 304 of end effector 300. Also, the selectiveand independent rotation of second drive connector 120 of surgicalinstrument 100 corresponds to the selective and independent articulationof tool assembly 304 of end effector 300 transverse to longitudinal axis“X” (see FIG. 2). Additionally, the selective and independent rotationof third drive connector 122 of surgical instrument 100 corresponds tothe selective and independent rotation of end effector 300 aboutlongitudinal axis “X” (see FIG. 2) relative to handle housing 102 ofsurgical instrument 100.

As mentioned above and as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8, drive mechanism160 includes a selector gearbox assembly 162; and a function selectionmodule 163, located proximal to the selector gearbox assembly 162, thatfunctions to selectively move gear elements within the selector gearboxassembly 162 into engagement with second motor 166. Thus, drivemechanism 160 selectively drives one of drive connectors 118, 120, 122of surgical instrument 100 at a given time.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, handle housing 102 supports a controlassembly 107 on a distal surface or side of intermediate housing portion108. The control assembly 107 is a fully-functional mechanicalsubassembly that can be assembled and tested separately from the rest ofthe instrument 100 prior to coupling thereto.

Control assembly 107, in cooperation with intermediate housing portion108, supports a pair of finger-actuated control buttons 124, 126 and apair rocker devices 128, 130 within a housing 107 a. The control buttons124, 126 are coupled to extension shafts 125, 127 respectively. Inparticular, control assembly 107 defines an upper aperture 124 a forslidably receiving the extension shaft 125, and a lower aperture 126 afor slidably receiving the extension shaft 127.

The control assembly 107 and its components (e.g., control buttons 124,126 and rocker devices 128, 130) my be formed from low friction,self-lubricating, lubricious plastics or materials or coatings coveringthe moving components to reduce actuation forces, key component wear,elimination of galling, smooth consistent actuation, improved componentand assembly reliability and reduced clearances for a tighter fit andfeel consistency. This includes the use of plastic materials in thebushings, rocker journals, plunger bushings, spring pockets, retainingrings and slider components. Molding the components in plastic alsoprovides net-shape or mesh-shaped components with all of theseperformance attributes. Plastic components eliminate corrosion andbi-metal anodic reactions under electrolytic conditions such asautoclaving, steam sterilizations and cleaning Press fits withlubricious plastics and materials also eliminate clearances with minimalstrain or functional penalties on the components when compared tosimilar metal components.

Suitable materials for forming the components of the control assembly107 include, but are not limited to, polyamines, polyphenylene sulfides,polyphthalamides, polyphenylsulfones, polyether ketones,polytetrafluoroethylenes, and combinations thereof. These components maybe used in the presence or absence of lubricants and may also includeadditives for reduced wear and frictional forces.

Reference may be made to a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/331,047,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,968,276, the entire contents of which areincorporated by reference herein, for a detailed discussion of theconstruction and operation of the surgical instrument 100.

The surgical instrument 100 includes a firing assembly configured todeploy or eject a plurality of staples into tissue captured by the endeffector 300. The firing assembly comprises a drive assembly 360, asillustrated in FIG. 9. The drive assembly 360 includes a flexible drivebeam 364 having a distal end which is secured to a dynamic clampingmember 365, and a proximal engagement section 368. Engagement section368 includes a stepped portion defining a shoulder 370. A proximal endof engagement section 368 includes diametrically opposed inwardlyextending fingers 372. Fingers 372 engage a hollow drive member 374 tofixedly secure drive member 374 to the proximal end of beam 364. Drivemember 374 defines a proximal porthole 376 a which receives a connectionmember of drive tube 246 (FIG. 1) of adapter 200 when end effector 300is attached to distal coupling 230 of adapter 200.

When drive assembly 360 is advanced distally within tool assembly 304,an upper beam 365 a of clamping member 365 moves within a channeldefined between anvil plate 312 and anvil cover 310 and a lower beam 365b moves over the exterior surface of carrier 316 to close tool assembly304 and fire staples therefrom.

Proximal body portion 302 of end effector 300 includes a sheath or outertube 301 enclosing an upper housing portion 301 a and a lower housingportion 301 b. The housing portions 301 a and 301 b enclose anarticulation link 366 having a hooked proximal end 366 a which extendsfrom a proximal end of end effector 300. Hooked proximal end 366 a ofarticulation link 366 engages a coupling hook (not shown) of adapter 200when end effector 300 is secured to distal housing 232 of adapter 200.When drive bar 258 of adapter 200 is advanced or retracted as describedabove, articulation link 366 of end effector 300 is advanced orretracted within end effector 300 to pivot tool assembly 304 in relationto a distal end of proximal body portion 302.

As illustrated in FIG. 9 above, cartridge assembly 308 of tool assembly304 includes a staple cartridge 305 supportable in carrier 316. Thecartridge can be permanently installed in the end effector 300 or can bearranged so as to be removable and replaceable. Staple cartridge 305defines a central longitudinal slot 305 a, and three linear rows ofstaple retention slots 305 b positioned on each side of longitudinalslot 305 a. Each of staple retention slots 305 b receives a singlestaple 307 and a portion of a staple pusher 309. During operation ofinstrument 100, drive assembly 360 abuts an actuation sled and pushesactuation sled through cartridge 305. As the actuation sled movesthrough cartridge 305, cam wedges of the actuation sled sequentiallyengage staple pushers 309 to move staple pushers 309 vertically withinstaple retention slots 305 b and sequentially eject staples 307therefrom for formation against anvil plate 312.

The hollow drive member 374 includes a lockout mechanism 373 thatprevents a firing of previously fired end effectors 300. The lockoutmechanism 373 includes a locking member 371 pivotally coupled within adistal porthole 376 b via a pin 377, such that locking member 371 ispivotal about pin 377 relative to drive member 374.

With reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, locking member 371 defines achannel 379 formed between elongate glides 381 and 383. Web 385 joins aportion of the upper surfaces of glides 381 and 383. Web 385 isconfigured and dimensioned to fit within the porthole 376 b of the drivemember 374. Horizontal ledges 389 and 391 extend from glides 381 and 383respectively. As best shown in FIG. 9, a spring 393 is disposed withinthe drive member 374 and engages horizontal ledge 389 and/or horizontalledge 391 to bias locking member 371 downward.

In operation, the locking member 371 is initially disposed in itspre-fired position at the proximal end of the housing portions 301 a and301 b with horizontal ledge 389 and 391 resting on top of projections303 a, 303 b formed in the sidewalls of housing portion 301 b. In thisposition, locking member 371 is held up and out of alignment with aprojection 303 c formed in the bottom surface of housing portion 301 b,distal of the projection 303 a, 303 b, and web 385 is in longitudinaljuxtaposition with shoulder 370 defined in drive beam 364. Thisconfiguration permits the anvil 306 to be opened and repositioned ontothe tissue to be stapled until the surgeon is satisfied with theposition without activating locking member 371 to disable the disposableend effector 300.

Upon distal movement of the drive beam 364 by the drive tube 246,locking member 371 rides off of projections 303 a, 303 b and is biasedinto engagement with housing portion 301 b by the spring 393, distal ofprojection 303 c. Locking member 371 remains in this configurationthroughout firing of the apparatus.

Upon retraction of the drive beam 364, after at least a partial firing,locking member 371 passes under projections 303 a, 303 b and rides overprojection 303 c of housing portion 301 b until the distal-most portionof locking member 371 is proximal to projection 303 c. The spring 393biases locking member 371 into juxtaposed alignment with projection 303c, effectively disabling the disposable end effector. If an attempt ismade to reactuate the apparatus, loaded with the existing end effector300, the locking member 371 will abut projection 303 c of housingportion 301 b and will inhibit distal movement of the drive beam 364.

Another aspect of the instrument 100 is shown in FIG. 11. The instrument100 includes the motor 164. The motor 164 may be any electrical motorconfigured to actuate one or more drives (e.g., rotatable driveconnectors 118, 120, 122 of FIG. 6). The motor 164 is coupled to thebattery 156, which may be a DC battery (e.g., rechargeable lead-based,nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.), an AC/DC transformer, orany other power source suitable for providing electrical energy to themotor 164.

The battery 156 and the motor 164 are coupled to a motor driver circuit404 disposed on the circuit board 154 which controls the operation ofthe motor 164 including the flow of electrical energy from the battery156 to the motor 164. The driver circuit 404 includes a plurality ofsensors 408 a, 408 b, . . . 408 n configured to measure operationalstates of the motor 164 and the battery 156. The sensors 408 a-n mayinclude voltage sensors, current sensors, temperature sensors, pressuresensors, telemetry sensors, optical sensors, and combinations thereof.The sensors 408 a-408 n may measure voltage, current, and otherelectrical properties of the electrical energy supplied by the battery156. The sensors 408 a-408 n may also measure rotational speed asrevolutions per minute (RPM), torque, temperature, current draw, andother operational properties of the motor 164. RPM may be determined bymeasuring the rotation of the motor 164. Position of various driveshafts (e.g., rotatable drive connectors 118, 120, 122 of FIG. 6) may bedetermined by using various linear sensors disposed in or in proximityto the shafts or extrapolated from the RPM measurements. In aspects,torque may be calculated based on the regulated current draw of themotor 164 at a constant RPM. In further aspects, the driver circuit 404and/or the controller 406 may measure time and process theabove-described values as a function thereof, including integrationand/or differentiation, e.g., to determine rate of change of themeasured values and the like.

The driver circuit 404 is also coupled to a controller 406, which may beany suitable logic control circuit adapted to perform the calculationsand/or operate according to a set of instructions. The controller 406may include a central processing unit operably connected to a memorywhich may include transitory type memory (e.g., RAM) and/ornon-transitory type memory (e.g., flash media, disk media, etc.). Thecontroller 406 includes a plurality of inputs and outputs forinterfacing with the driver circuit 404. In particular, the controller406 receives measured sensor signals from the driver circuit 404regarding operational status of the motor 164 and the battery 156 and,in turn, outputs control signals to the driver circuit 404 to controlthe operation of the motor 164 based on the sensor readings and specificalgorithm instructions. The controller 406 is also configured to accepta plurality of user inputs from a user interface (e.g., switches,buttons, touch screen, etc. of the control assembly 107 coupled to thecontroller 406). A removable memory card or chip may be provided, ordata can be downloaded wirelessly.

Referring to FIG. 12-18, a surgical system 10′ is depicted. The surgicalsystem 10′ is similar in many respects to the surgical system 10. Forexample, the surgical system 10′ includes the surgical instrument 100.Upper housing portion 108 of instrument housing 102 defines a nose orconnecting portion 108 a configured to accept a corresponding shaftcoupling assembly 514 of a transmission housing 512 of a shaft assembly500 that is similar in many respects to the shaft assembly 200.

The shaft assembly 500 has a force transmitting assembly forinterconnecting the at least one drive member of the surgical instrumentto at least one rotation receiving member of the end effector. The forcetransmitting assembly has a first end that is connectable to the atleast one rotatable drive member and a second end that is connectable tothe at least one rotation receiving member of the end effector. Whenshaft assembly 500 is mated to surgical instrument 100, each ofrotatable drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 couples with a corresponding rotatable connector sleeve518, 520, 522 of shaft assembly 500 (see FIGS. 13 and 15). In thisregard, the interface between corresponding first drive member orconnector 118 and first connector sleeve 518, the interface betweencorresponding second drive member or connector 120 and second connectorsleeve 520, and the interface between corresponding third drive memberor connector 122 and third connector sleeve 522 are keyed such thatrotation of each of drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 ofsurgical instrument 100 causes a corresponding rotation of thecorresponding connector sleeve 518, 520, 522 of shaft assembly 500.

The selective rotation of drive member(s) or connector(s) 118, 120and/or 122 of surgical instrument 100 allows surgical instrument 100 toselectively actuate different functions of an end effector 400.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 14, the shaft assembly 500 includes anelongate, substantially rigid, outer tubular body 510 having a proximalend 510 a and a distal end 510 b and a transmission housing 212connected to proximal end 210 a of tubular body 510 and being configuredfor selective connection to surgical instrument 100. In addition, theshaft assembly 500 further includes an articulating neck assembly 530connected to distal end 510 b of elongate body portion 510.

Transmission housing 512 is configured to house a pair of gear trainsystems therein for varying a speed/force of rotation (e.g., increase ordecrease) of first, second and/or third rotatable drive members orconnectors 118, 120, and/or 122 of surgical instrument 100 beforetransmission of such rotational speed/force to the end effector 501. Asseen in FIG. 15, transmission housing 512 and shaft coupling assembly514 rotatably support a first proximal or input drive shaft 524 a, asecond proximal or input drive shaft 526 a, and a third drive shaft 528.

Shaft drive coupling assembly 514 includes a first, a second and a thirdbiasing member 518 a, 520 a and 522 a disposed distally of respectivefirst, second and third connector sleeves 518, 520, 522. Each of biasingmembers 518 a, 520 a and 522 a is disposed about respective firstproximal drive shaft 524 a, second proximal drive shaft 526 a, and thirddrive shaft 228. Biasing members 518 a, 520 a and 522 a act onrespective connector sleeves 518, 520 and 522 to help maintain connectorsleeves 218, 220 and 222 engaged with the distal end of respective driverotatable drive members or connectors 118, 120, 122 of surgicalinstrument 100 when shaft assembly 500 is connected to surgicalinstrument 100.

Shaft assembly 500 includes a first and a second gear train system 540,550, respectively, disposed within transmission housing 512 and tubularbody 510, and adjacent coupling assembly 514. As mentioned above, eachgear train system 540, 550 is configured and adapted to vary aspeed/force of rotation (e.g., increase or decrease) of first and secondrotatable drive connectors 118 and 120 of surgical instrument 100 beforetransmission of such rotational speed/force to end effector 501.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, first gear train system 540 includesfirst input drive shaft 524 a, and a first input drive shaft spur gear542 a keyed to first input drive shaft 524 a. First gear train system540 also includes a first transmission shaft 544 rotatably supported intransmission housing 512, a first input transmission spur gear 544 akeyed to first transmission shaft 544 and engaged with first input driveshaft spur gear 542 a, and a first output transmission spur gear 544 bkeyed to first transmission shaft 544. First gear train system 540further includes a first output drive shaft 546 a rotatably supported intransmission housing 512 and tubular body 510, and a first output driveshaft spur gear 546 b keyed to first output drive shaft 546 a andengaged with first output transmission spur gear 544 b.

In at least one instance, the first input drive shaft spur gear 542 aincludes 10 teeth; first input transmission spur gear 544 a includes 18teeth; first output transmission spur gear 544 b includes 13 teeth; andfirst output drive shaft spur gear 546 b includes 15 teeth. As soconfigured, an input rotation of first input drive shaft 524 a isconverted to an output rotation of first output drive shaft 546 a by aratio of 1:2.08.

In operation, as first input drive shaft spur gear 542 a is rotated, dueto a rotation of first connector sleeve 558 and first input drive shaft524 a, as a result of the rotation of the first respective driveconnector 118 of surgical instrument 100, first input drive shaft spurgear 542 a engages first input transmission spur gear 544 a causingfirst input transmission spur gear 544 a to rotate. As first inputtransmission spur gear 544 a rotates, first transmission shaft 544 isrotated and thus causes first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b, thatis keyed to first transmission shaft 544, to rotate. As first outputdrive shaft spur gear 546 b rotates, since first output drive shaft spurgear 546 b is engaged therewith, first output drive shaft spur gear 546b is also rotated. As first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b rotates,since first output drive shaft spur gear 546 b is keyed to first outputdrive shaft 546 a, first output drive shaft 546 a is rotated.

The shaft assembly 500, including the first gear system 540, functionsto transmit operative forces from surgical instrument 100 to endeffector 501 in order to operate, actuate and/or fire end effector 501.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 17, second gear train system 550 includessecond input drive shaft 526 a, and a second input drive shaft spur gear552 a keyed to second input drive shaft 526 a. Second gear train system550 also includes a first transmission shaft 554 rotatably supported intransmission housing 512, a first input transmission spur gear 554 akeyed to first transmission shaft 554 and engaged with second inputdrive shaft spur gear 552 a, and a first output transmission spur gear554 b keyed to first transmission shaft 554.

Second gear train system 550 further includes a second transmissionshaft 556 rotatably supported in transmission housing 512, a secondinput transmission spur gear 556 a keyed to second transmission shaft556 and engaged with first output transmission spur gear 554 b that iskeyed to first transmission shaft 554, and a second output transmissionspur gear 556 b keyed to second transmission shaft 556.

Second gear train system 550 additionally includes a second output driveshaft 558 a rotatably supported in transmission housing 512 and tubularbody 510, and a second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b keyed tosecond output drive shaft 558 a and engaged with second outputtransmission spur gear 556 b.

In at least one instance, the second input drive shaft spur gear 552 aincludes 10 teeth; first input transmission spur gear 554 a includes 20teeth; first output transmission spur gear 554 b includes 10 teeth;second input transmission spur gear 556 a includes 20 teeth; secondoutput transmission spur gear 556 b includes 10 teeth; and second outputdrive shaft spur gear 558 b includes 15 teeth. As so configured, aninput rotation of second input drive shaft 526 a is converted to anoutput rotation of second output drive shaft 558 a by a ratio of 1:6.

In operation, as second input drive shaft spur gear 552 a is rotated,due to a rotation of second connector sleeve 560 and second input driveshaft 526 a, as a result of the rotation of the second respective driveconnector 120 of surgical instrument 100, second input drive shaft spurgear 552 a engages first input transmission spur gear 554 a causingfirst input transmission spur gear 554 a to rotate. As first inputtransmission spur gear 554 a rotates, first transmission shaft 554 isrotated and thus causes first output transmission spur gear 554 b, thatis keyed to first transmission shaft 554, to rotate. As first outputtransmission spur gear 554 b rotates, since second input transmissionspur gear 556 a is engaged therewith, second input transmission spurgear 556 a is also rotated. As second input transmission spur gear 556 arotates, second transmission shaft 256 is rotated and thus causes secondoutput transmission spur gear 256 b, that is keyed to secondtransmission shaft 556, to rotate. As second output transmission spurgear 556 b rotates, since second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b isengaged therewith, second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b is rotated.As second output drive shaft spur gear 558 b rotates, since secondoutput drive shaft spur gear 558 b is keyed to second output drive shaft558 a, second output drive shaft 558 a is rotated.

The shaft assembly 500, including second gear train system 550,functions to transmit operative forces from surgical instrument 100 toend effector 501 in order rotate shaft assembly 500 and/or end effector501 relative to surgical instrument 100.

As illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 18, the transmission housing 512 andshaft coupling assembly 514 rotatably support a third drive shaft 528.Third drive shaft 528 includes a proximal end 528 a configured tosupport third connector sleeve 522, and a distal end 528 b extending toand operatively connected to an articulation assembly 570.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, elongate, outer tubular body 510 of shaftassembly 500 includes a first half section 511 a and a second halfsection 511 b defining at least three longitudinally extending channelsthrough outer tubular body 510 when half sections 511 a, 511 b are matedwith one another. The channels are configured and dimensioned torotatably receive and support first output drive shaft 546 a, secondoutput drive shaft 558 a, and third drive shaft 528 as first outputdrive shaft 546 a, second output drive shaft 558 a, and third driveshaft 528 extend from transmission housing 512 to articulating neckassembly 530. Each of first output drive shaft 546 a, second outputdrive shaft 558 a, and third drive shaft 528 are elongate andsufficiently rigid to transmit rotational forces from transmissionhousing 520 to articulating neck assembly 530.

Turning to FIG. 14, the shaft assembly 500 further includes anarticulating neck assembly 530. The articulating neck assembly 530includes a proximal neck housing 532, a plurality of links 534 connectedto and extending in series from proximal neck housing 532; and a distalneck housing 536 connected to and extending from a distal-most link ofthe plurality of links 534. It is contemplated that, in any of theaspects disclosed herein, that the shaft assembly may have a single linkor pivot member for allowing the articulation of the end effector. It iscontemplated that, in any of the aspects disclosed herein, that thedistal neck housing can be incorporated with the distal most link.

The entire disclosures of:

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0110453, filed Oct. 23,2012, and titled SURGICAL INSTRUMENT WITH RAPID POST EVENT DETECTION;

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0282052, filed Jun. 19,2013, and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES; and

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0274722, filed May 10,2013, and titled APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPIC PROCEDURES, are herebyincorporated by reference herein.

Referring to FIGS. 19-19B, a surgical instrument 10 is depicted. Thesurgical instrument 10 is similar in many respects to the surgicalinstrument 100. For example, the surgical instrument 10 is configuredfor selective connection with the end effector or single use loadingunit or reload 300 via the adapter 200. Also, the surgical instrument 10includes the handle housing 102 including the lower housing portion 104,the intermediate housing portion 106, and the upper housing portion 108.In addition, the surgical instrument 10 further includes a replaceablemotor cartridge 12, as illustrated in FIG. 20. The motor cartridge 12 isseparably couplable to the surgical instrument 10. A motor access door13 (FIG. 19) can be opened to obtain access to the motor cartridge 12.Once the motor access door 13 is opened, the motor cartridge 12 can beremoved and replaced with another motor cartridge.

As described in greater delay below, the surgical instrument 10 isconfigured to detect a damaged motor cartridge 12 and, in certaininstances, instruct an operator of the surgical instrument 10 to replacethe damaged motor cartridge 12 with an undamaged motor cartridge 12. Theability to replace a motor cartridge 12 is quite useful at least becauseit allows for an improved repair capability since a damaged motorcartridge 12 can be readily replaced with an undamaged motor cartridge12. In absence of the ability to replace a damaged motor cartridge 12,the surgical instrument 10 may be rendered inoperable even though themajority of the components of the surgical instrument 10 are in goodoperating condition. The ability to replace a motor cartridge 12 is alsouseful in allowing modularity in new product designs, and simplifyinginstallation of hardware upgrades as part of life cycle improvements.For example, a first generation motor cartridge can be readily replacedwith an upgraded second generation motor cartridge. Motor cartridges canalso be swapped between surgical instruments that employ the same typeof motor cartridge, for example.

The motor cartridge 12 comprises a housing 14 which includes highcurrent components of the surgical instrument 10 such as, for example,at least one motor 16 and at least one motor circuit board 18. Sincehigh current components of the surgical instrument 10 are moresusceptible to damage than low current components such as a main controlcircuit board 19 and various feedback systems, it is desirable to beable to readily replace the high current components by replacing themotor cartridge 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 21, the motor cartridge 12 is releasably coupledto the surgical instrument 10. An interface 21 between the motorcartridge 12 and the surgical instrument 10 comprises a mechanicalcomponent represented by mechanical connectors 22, 23, 24, and 25, apower/communication transmission component represented by electricalconnectors 26, 28, 30, and 32. In at least one instance, the maincontrol circuit board 19 comprises a receiver 53 which can be in theform of a socket, as illustrated in FIG. 19B. The receiver 53 can beconfigured to receive the connectors 28 and 32, for example, toelectrically couple the main control circuit board 19 to the circuitboards 18 and 18′. In certain instances, the interface 21 may compriseone or more switches which can be activated after coupling engagement ofthe motor cartridge 12 and the surgical instrument 10. Various suitableconnectors are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2014/0305990, filed Apr. 16, 2013, and titled DRIVE SYSTEM DECOUPLINGARRANGEMENT FOR A SURGICAL INSTRUMENT, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

In the aspect illustrated in FIG. 21, the motor cartridge 12 includestwo motors 16 and 16′ which are controlled by separate motor controlcircuit boards 18 and 18′. Alternatively, the motors 16 and 16′ can becontrolled by one motor control circuit board. In certain instances, twoor more separate motor cartridges can be employed with the surgicalinstrument 10, wherein each motor cartridge includes at least one motorand at least one motor control circuit board for controlling the atleast one motor, for example. For the sake of brevity, the followingdiscussion will focus on the motor 16 and the control circuit board 18;however, the following discussion is also applicable to the motor 16′and the control circuit board 18′.

The motor 16 may be any electrical motor configured to actuate one ormore drives (e.g., rotatable drive connector 24 of FIG. 19B). The motor16 is powered by a power source 34 in the surgical instrument 10.Electrical energy is transmitted to the motor 16 through the interface21. The power source 34 may be a DC battery (e.g., rechargeablelead-based, nickel-based, lithium-ion based, battery etc.), an AC/DCtransformer, or any other power source suitable for providing electricalenergy to the motor 16. When the motor cartridge 12 is coupled to thesurgical instrument 10, the power source 34 and the motor 16 are coupledto the motor control circuit 18 which controls the operation of themotor 16 including the flow of electrical energy from the power source34 to the motor 16.

Referring to FIG. 21, the main control circuit board 19 includes amicrocontroller 20 (“controller”). In certain instances, the controller20 may include a microprocessor 36 (“processor”) and one or morecomputer readable mediums or memory units 38 (“memory”). In certaininstances, the memory 38 may store various program instructions, whichwhen executed may cause the processor 36 to perform a plurality offunctions and/or calculations described herein. The power source 34 canbe configured to supply power to the controller 20 and/or othercomponents of the main control circuit board 19, for example.

The controller 20 and/or other controllers of the present disclosure maybe implemented using integrated and/or discrete hardware elements,software elements, and/or a combination of both. Examples of integratedhardware elements may include processors, microprocessors,microcontrollers, integrated circuits, ASICs, PLDs, DSPs, FPGAs, logicgates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chip sets,microcontrollers, SoC, and/or SIP. Examples of discrete hardwareelements may include circuits and/or circuit elements such as logicgates, field effect transistors, bipolar transistors, resistors,capacitors, inductors, and/or relays. In certain instances, thecontroller 20 may include a hybrid circuit comprising discrete andintegrated circuit elements or components on one or more substrates, forexample.

In certain instances, the controller 20 and/or other controllers of thepresent disclosure may be an LM 4F230H5QR, available from TexasInstruments, for example. In certain instances, the Texas InstrumentsLM4F230H5QR is an ARM Cortex-M4F Processor Core comprising on-chipmemory of 256 KB single-cycle flash memory, or other non-volatilememory, up to 40 MHz, a prefetch buffer to improve performance above 40MHz, a 32 KB single-cycle SRAM, internal ROM loaded with StellarisWare®software, 2 KB EEPROM, one or more PWM modules, one or more QEI analog,one or more 12-bit ADC with 12 analog input channels, among otherfeatures that are readily available. Other microcontrollers may bereadily substituted for use with the present disclosure. Accordingly,the present disclosure should not be limited in this context.

In various instances, one or more of the various steps described hereincan be performed by a finite state machine comprising either acombinational logic circuit or a sequential logic circuit, where eitherthe combinational logic circuit or the sequential logic circuit iscoupled to at least one memory circuit. The at least one memory circuitstores a current state of the finite state machine. The combinational orsequential logic circuit is configured to cause the finite state machineto the steps. The sequential logic circuit may be synchronous orasynchronous. In other instances, one or more of the various stepsdescribed herein can be performed by a circuit that includes acombination of the processor 36 and the finite state machine, forexample.

Referring to FIG. 22, FIG. 22 is a logic diagram 70 representative ofpossible operations that can be implemented by the surgical instrument10, for example, to monitor the health of a motor cartridge 12 andrespond to a detected motor cartridge malfunction. A motor activationsignal can be received 72 by the processor 36 from an actuator 42 of thesurgical instrument 10. The actuator 42 can be a switch that isconfigured to close or open a circuit upon actuation of the actuator 42.The closure or opening of the circuit can signal the processor 36 thatthe actuator 42 has been actuated. In at least one instance, theactuator 42 can be in the form of a firing trigger which can be actuatedby an operator to activate a firing sequence of the surgical instrument10, for example. In another instance, the actuator 42 can be in the formof a closure trigger which can be actuated by an operator to close anend effector 300 of the surgical instrument 10, for example. In anotherinstance, the actuator 42 can be in the form of a rotation trigger whichcan be actuated by an operator to rotate an end effector 300 of thesurgical instrument 10, for example.

Upon receipt of the activation signal, the processor 36 may signal 74the motor control circuit board 18 to activate the motor 16. The healthof the motor cartridge 12 can be continuously monitored 76 while theactuator 42 is actuated. Under normal operating conditions, asillustrated in FIG. 21, the motor 16 draws current from the power source34 and generates rotational motion(s) that are transmitted through theinterface 21 to the drive mechanism 160 in response to the actuation ofthe actuator 42. If, however, a malfunction in the motor cartridge 12 isdetected 78, one or more safety and/or operational measures can beactivated 79, as described in greater detail below. Otherwise, the motorcartridge health is continuously monitored 76 while the actuator 42 isactuated until a malfunction is detected 78.

Referring to FIG. 23, FIG. 23 is a logic diagram 80 representative ofpossible operations that can be implemented by the surgical instrument10, for example, to monitor the health of a motor cartridge 12 andrespond to a detected motor cartridge malfunction. A motor activationsignal can be received 82 by the processor 36 from an actuator 42 of thesurgical instrument 10. Upon receipt of the activation signal, theprocessor 36 may signal 84 the motor control circuit board 18 toactivate the motor 16. At 86, the health of the motor cartridge 12 canbe continuously monitored, while the actuator 42 is actuated, bymonitoring the current draw of the motor cartridge 12. As illustrated inFIG. 21, the current draw of the motor cartridge 12 can be monitored byone or more current sensors 40. Sensed current readings can becommunicated to the processor 36 by the current sensor 40. At 88, if thecurrent draw of the motor cartridge 12, while the actuator 42 isactuated, becomes outside a predetermined value or range, the processor36 can conclude that a malfunction of the motor cartridge 12 is detected88. If a malfunction in the motor cartridge 12 is detected 88, one ormore safety and/or operational measures can be activated 89, asdescribed in greater detail below. Otherwise, the motor cartridge healthis continuously monitored 86 while the actuator 42 is actuated until amalfunction is detected 88.

The predetermined value or range can be stored in the memory 38, forexample. In the event a predetermined range is stored in the memory 38,the processor 36 may access the memory 38 to compare a current reading,or an average of a plurality of current readings, of the current sensor40 to the predetermined range. If the current reading is greater than orequal to a maximum value of the predetermined range, the processor 36may conclude that a malfunction of the motor cartridge 12 is detected88. Also, if the current reading is less than or equal a minimum valueof the predetermined range, the processor 36 may conclude that amalfunction of the motor cartridge 12 is detected 88.

Likewise, in the event a stored value is stored in the memory 38, theprocessor 36 may access the memory 38 to compare a current reading, oran average of a plurality of current readings, of the current sensor 40to the predetermined value. If the current reading is greater than orequal to the predetermined value, for example, or less than or equal tothe predetermined value, for example, the processor 36 may conclude thata malfunction of the motor cartridge 12 is detected 88.

In at least one instance, the processor 36 may conclude that amalfunction of the motor cartridge 12 is detected if the current draw ofthe motor cartridge 12, while the actuator 42 is activated, is less thanor equal to 10% of the predetermined value. In at least one instance,the processor 36 may conclude that a malfunction of the motor cartridge12 is detected if the current draw of the motor cartridge 12, while theactuator 42 is activated, is less than or equal to 20% of thepredetermined value. In at least one instance, the processor 36 mayconclude that a malfunction of the motor cartridge 12 is detected if thecurrent draw of the motor cartridge 12, while the actuator 42 isactuated, is greater than or equal to 150% of the predetermined value.In at least one instance, the processor 36 may conclude that amalfunction of the motor cartridge 12 is detected if the current draw ofthe motor cartridge 12, while the actuator 42 is actuated, is greaterthan or equal to 200% of the predetermined value.

As indicated above, the processor 36 can be configured to respond to adetected malfunction of the motor cartridge 12 by activating (79 and 89)one or more safety and/or operational measures. For example, theprocessor 36 may employ one or more feedback elements 44 to issue analert to an operator of the surgical instrument 100. In certaininstances, the feedback elements 44 may comprise one or more visualfeedback systems such as display screens, backlights, and/or LEDs, forexample. In certain instances, the feedback elements 44 may comprise oneor more audio feedback systems such as speakers and/or buzzers, forexample. In certain instances, the feedback elements 44 may comprise oneor more haptic feedback systems, for example. In certain instances, thefeedback elements 44 may comprise combinations of visual, audio, and/orhaptic feedback systems, for example.

Further to the above, the processor 36 may employ a feedback screen 46(FIG. 19B) of the surgical instrument 10 to provide instructions to anoperator for how to replace the motor cartridge 12, for example. Inaddition, the processor 36 may respond to a detected malfunction of themotor cartridge 12 by storing or recording a damaged status of the motorcartridge 12 in the memory 38.

In at least one instance, the processor 36 may disable the surgicalinstrument 10 until the damaged motor cartridge 12 is replaced with anundamaged motor cartridge. For example, the memory 38 may includeprogram instructions, which when executed by the processor 36 inresponse to a detected malfunction of the motor cartridge 12, may causethe processor 36 to ignore input from the actuator 42 until the damagedmotor cartridge 12 is replaced. A motor cartridge replacement feedbackelement 58 can be employed to alert the processor 36 when the motorcartridge 12 is replaced, as described in greater detail below.

Referring primarily to FIGS. 19A and 21, the surgical instrument 10 mayinclude a motor access door 13. The motor access door 13 can bereleasably locked to the handle housing 102 to control access to themotor cartridge 12. As illustrated in FIG. 19A, the motor access door 13may include a locking mechanism such as, for example, a snap-typelocking mechanism 47 for locking engagement with the handle housing 102.Other locking mechanisms for locking the motor access door 13 to thehandle housing 102 are contemplated by the present disclosure. In use, aclinician may obtain access to the motor cartridge 12 by unlocking thelocking mechanism 47 and opening the motor access door 13. In at leastone example, the motor access door 13 can be separably coupled to thehandle housing 102 and can be detached from the handle housing 102 toprovide access to the motor access door 13, for example. In anotherexample, the motor access door 13 can be pivotally coupled to the handlehousing 102 via hinges (not shown) and can be pivoted relative to thehandle housing 102 to provide access to the motor access door 13, forexample. In yet another example, the motor access door 13 can be asliding door which can be slidably movable relative to the handlehousing 102 to provide access to the motor access door 13.

Referring again to FIG. 21, in certain instances, a motor door feedbackelement 48 can be configured to alert the processor 36 that the lockingmechanism 47 is unlocked. In at least one example, the motor doorfeedback element 48 may comprise a switch circuit (not shown) operablycoupled to the processor 36; the switch circuit can be configured to betransitioned to an open configuration when the locking mechanism 47 isunlocked by a clinician and/or transitioned to a closed configurationwhen the locking mechanism 47 is locked by the clinician, for example.In at least one example, the motor door feedback element 48 may compriseat least one sensor (not shown) operably coupled to the processor 36;the sensor can be configured to be triggered when the locking mechanism47 is transitioned to unlocked and/or locked configurations by theclinician, for example. The motor door feedback element 48 may includeother means for detecting the locking and/or unlocking of the lockingmechanism 47 by the clinician.

Referring to FIGS. 21 and 24, the controller 20 may comprise one or moreembedded applications implemented as firmware, software, hardware, orany combination thereof. In certain instances, the controller 20 maycomprise various executable modules such as software, programs, data,drivers, and/or application program interfaces (APIs), for example. FIG.24 depicts an example module 50 that can be stored in the memory 38, forexample. The module 50 can be executed by the processor 36, for example,to alert, guide, and/or provide feedback to a user of the surgicalinstrument 10 with regard to replacing a motor cartridge 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 24, the module 50 is executed by the processor 36to provide the user with instructions as to how to replace a motorcartridge 12, for example. In various instances, the module 50 maycomprise one or more decision-making steps such as, for example, adecision-making step 52 with regard to the detection of one or moreerrors requiring replacement of the motor cartridge 12. In at least oneinstance, as described above in greater detail, the processor 36 isconfigured to detect an error requiring replacement of the motorcartridge 12 when the current draw of the motor cartridge 12, while theactuator 42 is actuated, is outside a predetermined range, for example.

When the processor 36 detects an error in the decision-making step 52,the processor 36 may respond by stopping and/or disabling the motor 16,for example. In addition, in certain instances, the processor 36 mayalso store a damaged status of the motor cartridge 12 in the memory 38after detecting the motor cartridge error, as illustrated in FIG. 25. Asdescribed above, the memory 38 can be a non-volatile memory which maypreserve the stored status when the surgical instrument 10 is reset bythe user, for example. In various instances, the motor 16 can be stoppedand/or disabled by disconnecting the power source 34 from the motor 16,for example. In various instances, the main control circuit board 19 mayinclude a motor override circuit which can be employed by the processor36 to stop power delivery to the motor cartridge 12, for example. Thestep of stopping the motor 16 and/or stopping power delivery to themotor cartridge 12 can be advantageous in preventing, or at leastreducing, the possibility of further damage to the surgical instrument10, for example.

Further to the above, referring still to FIG. 24, the module 50 mayinclude a decision-making step 54 for detecting whether the motor accessdoor 13 is removed. As described above, the processor 36 can beoperationally coupled to the motor door feedback element 48 which can beconfigured to alert the processor 36 as to whether the motor access door13 is removed. In certain instances, the processor 36 can be programmedto detect that the motor access door 13 is removed when the motor doorfeedback element 48 reports that the locking mechanism 47 is unlocked,for example. In certain instances, the processor 36 can be programmed todetect that the motor access door 13 is removed when the motor doorfeedback element 48 reports that the motor access door 13 is opened, forexample. In certain instances, the processor 36 can be programmed todetect that the motor access door 13 is removed when the motor doorfeedback element 48 reports that the locking mechanism 47 is unlockedand that the motor access door 13 is opened, for example.

Referring still to FIG. 24, when the processor 36 does not detect amotor cartridge error in the decision-making step 52 and does not detectthat the motor access door 13 is removed in the decision-making step 54,the processor 36 may not interrupt the normal operation of the surgicalinstrument 10 and may proceed with various clinical algorithms. However,the processor 36 may continue to detect errors requiring replacement ofthe motor cartridge 12.

In certain instances, when the processor 36 does not detect a motorcartridge error in the decision-making step 52 but detects that themotor access door 13 is removed in the decision-making step 54, theprocessor 36 may respond by stopping and/or disabling the motor 16, asdescribed above. In addition, the processor 36 may also provide the userwith instructions to reinstall the motor access door 13. In certaininstances, when the processor 36 detects that the motor access door 13is reinstalled, while no motor cartridge error is detected, theprocessor 36 can be configured to reconnect the power to the motor 16and allow the user to continue with clinical algorithms, as illustratedin FIG. 24.

Further to the above, when the processor 36 detects a motor cartridgeerror and further detects removal of the motor access door 13, theprocessor 36 can signal the user to replace the motor cartridge 12 byproviding the user with a visual, audio, and/or tactile feedback, forexample. In certain instances, the processor 36 can signal the user ofthe surgical instrument 10 to replace the motor cartridge 12 by flashinga backlight of the feedback screen 46. In any event, the processor 36may provide the user with instructions to replace the motor cartridge12, as illustrated in FIG. 24.

Referring again to FIG. 24, in various instances, the instructionsprovided by the processor 36 to the user to remove the motor access door13 and/or to replace the motor cartridge 12 may comprise one or moresteps; the steps may be presented to the user in a chronological order.The steps may comprise actions to be performed by the user. In suchinstances, the user may proceed through the steps by performing theactions presented in each of the steps. In certain instances, theactions required in one or more of the steps can be presented to theuser in the form of animated images displayed on the feedback screen 46(FIG. 19B), for example. In certain instances, one or more of the stepscan be presented to the user as messages which may include words,symbols, and/or images.

Further to the above, referring still to FIG. 24, the module 50 mayinclude a decision-making step 56 for detecting whether the motorcartridge 12 has been replaced. In at least one instance, the user ofthe surgical instrument 10 is requested to alert the processor 36 whenthe motor cartridge 12 has been replaced using one or more of the userfeedback elements 44, for example. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG.21, the processor 36 can be operationally coupled to a motor cartridgereplacement feedback element 58 which can be configured to alert theprocessor 36 when the motor cartridge 12 is replaced. In at least oneinstance, the motor cartridge replacement feedback element 58 includesone or more sensors and/or switches which can be triggered when themotor cartridge 12 is removed and/or replaced to alert the processor 36when the motor cartridge 12 has been removed and/or replaced.

In at least one instance, the motor cartridge replacement feedbackelement 58 includes a pressure sensor positioned at the interface 21between the surgical instrument 10 and the motor cartridge 12. Theprocessor 36 can be configured to employ the pressure sensor of themotor cartridge replacement feedback element 58 to detect when the motorcartridge 12 has been removed and/or replaced. In at least one instance,the processor 36 can be configured to employ the pressure sensor of themotor cartridge replacement feedback element 58 to detect athreshold-setting pressure reading when the motor cartridge 12 isinstalled with the surgical instrument 10. The threshold-settingpressure reading can be used to set a predetermined threshold which canbe stored in the memory 38. Alternatively, the predetermined thresholdcan be calculated and stored in the memory 36 independent of anyreadings obtained by the pressure sensor.

Further to the above, the processor 36 can be configured to concludethat an installed motor cartridge 12 has been removed when one or morepressure readings detected by the pressure sensor of the motor cartridgereplacement feedback element 58 are less than or equal to thepredetermined threshold. The processor 36 can also be configured toconclude that a replacement motor cartridge 12 has been installed whensubsequent pressure readings detected by the pressure sensor of themotor cartridge replacement feedback element 58 become greater than orequal to the predetermined threshold, for example.

Further to the above, still referring to FIG. 24, once it is determinedthat the motor cartridge 12 has been replaced, the processor 36 can beconfigured to instruct the user to reinstall the motor access door 13.Upon subsequent detection that the motor access door 13 has beeninstalled, the processor 36 can be configured to allow powertransmission to the installed replacement motor cartridge 12. In certaininstances, the processor 36 is further configured to employ one or moreof the user feedback elements 44 to alert the use of successfulinstallation of the replacement motor cartridge 12 and/or that thesurgical instrument 10 is now ready to continue with various clinicalalgorithms.

In various instances, the motor access door 13 can be replaced with amotor access member or a motor securement member configured to securethe motor cartridge 12 to the handle housing 102. Alternatively, themotor access door 13 can be removed completely or integrated into thehousing 14 of the motor cartridge 12 such that the motor cartridge 12can be readily removed or separated from the surgical instrument 10 bypulling or retracting the motor cartridge 12 away from the handlehousing 102, for example. In at least one instance, in the absence of amotor access door, an outer wall 59 (FIG. 20) of the housing 14 of themotor cartridge 12 can be configured to form a portion of an outer wallof the handle housing 102 of the surgical instrument 10 when the motorcartridge 12 is installed with the surgical instrument 10. In suchinstances, the outer wall 59 may include an attachment portion (notshown) that can be grabbed by a user of the surgical instrument andpulled to facilitate separating the motor cartridge 12 from the handlehousing 102, for example.

FIG. 25 depicts an example module 60 which can be stored in the memory38, for example. The module 60 is similar in many respects to the module50. For example, the module 60 can also be executed by the processor 36,for example, to alert, guide, and/or provide feedback to a user of thesurgical instrument 10 with regard to replacing a motor cartridge 12;however, the module 60 is implemented when the a motor access doorfeature is not used.

As illustrated in FIG. 24, the module 50 is executed by the processor 36to provide the user with instructions as to how to replace a motorcartridge 12, for example. In various instances, the module 50 maycomprise one or more decision-making steps such as, for example, adecision-making step 52 with regard to the detection of one or moreerrors requiring replacement of the motor cartridge 12. In at least oneinstance, as described above in greater detail, the processor 36 isconfigured to detect an error requiring replacement of the motorcartridge 12 when the current draw of the motor cartridge 12, while theactuator 42 is activated, is outside a predetermined range, for example.

Like the module 50, the module 60 also includes one or moredecision-making steps such as, for example, the decision-making step 52with regard to the detection of one or more errors requiring replacementof the motor cartridge 12. When the processor 36 detects an error in thedecision-making step 52, the processor 36 may respond by stopping and/ordisabling the motor 16, for example. In addition, in certain instances,the processor 36 also may store a damaged status of the motor cartridge12 in the memory 38 after detecting the motor cartridge error, asillustrated in FIG. 25.

Further to the above, when the processor 36 detects a motor cartridgeerror, the processor 36 can signal the user to replace the motorcartridge 12 by providing the user with a visual, audio, and/or tactilefeedback, for example. In certain instances, the processor 36 can signalthe user of the surgical instrument 10 to replace the motor cartridge 12by flashing a backlight of the feedback screen 46. In any event, theprocessor 36 may provide the user with instructions to replace the motorcartridge 12, as illustrated in FIG. 25. Furthermore, the module 60includes the decision-making step 56 for detecting whether the motorcartridge 12 has been replaced, as describe above in greater detail. Inaddition, once it is determined that the motor cartridge 12 has beenreplaced, the processor 36 can be configured to allow power transmissionto the installed replacement motor cartridge 12. The processor 36 can befurther configured to employ one or more of the user feedback elements44 to alert the user of successful installation of the replacement motorcartridge 12.

While various details have been set forth in the foregoing description,it will be appreciated that the various aspects of the surgicalinstruments with separable motors and motor control circuits may bepracticed without these specific details. For example, for concisenessand clarity selected aspects have been shown in block diagram formrather than in detail. Some portions of the detailed descriptionsprovided herein may be presented in terms of instructions that operateon data that is stored in a computer memory. Such descriptions andrepresentations are used by those skilled in the art to describe andconvey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Ingeneral, an algorithm refers to a self-consistent sequence of stepsleading to a desired result, where a “step” refers to a manipulation ofphysical quantities which may, though need not necessarily, take theform of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored,transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It is commonusage to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols,characters, terms, numbers, or the like. These and similar terms may beassociated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merelyconvenient labels applied to these quantities.

Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the foregoingdiscussion, it is appreciated that, throughout the foregoingdescription, discussions using terms such as “processing” or “computing”or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer tothe action and processes of a computer system, or similar electroniccomputing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

It is worthy to note that any reference to “one aspect” or “an aspect,”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect. Thus,appearances of the phrases “in one aspect” or “in an aspect” in variousplaces throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring tothe same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreaspects.

Although various aspects have been described herein, many modifications,variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents to those aspects maybe implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art. Also, wherematerials are disclosed for certain components, other materials may beused. It is therefore to be understood that the foregoing descriptionand the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications andvariations as falling within the scope of the disclosed aspects. Thefollowing claims are intended to cover all such modification andvariations.

Some or all of the aspects described herein may generally comprisetechnologies for surgical instruments with separable motors and motorcontrol circuits, or otherwise according to technologies describedherein. In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize thatthe various aspects described herein which can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed ofvarious types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein“electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electricalcircuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electricalcircuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitryhaving at least one application specific integrated circuit, electricalcircuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by acomputer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by acomputer program which at least partially carries out processes and/ordevices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computerprogram which at least partially carries out processes and/or devicesdescribed herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g.,forms of random access memory), and/or electrical circuitry forming acommunications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, oroptical-electrical equipment). Those having skill in the art willrecognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented inan analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various aspects of thedevices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one aspect, severalportions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented viaApplication Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field ProgrammableGate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or otherintegrated formats. Those skilled in the art will recognize, however,that some aspects of the aspects disclosed herein, in whole or in part,can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or morecomputer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or moreprograms running on one or more computer systems), as one or moreprograms running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or moreprograms running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or asvirtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitryand/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be wellwithin the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure.In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that themechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that anillustrative aspect of the subject matter described herein appliesregardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used toactually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing mediuminclude, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type mediumsuch as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a DigitalVideo Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and atransmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analogcommunication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wiredcommunications link, a wireless communication link (e.g., transmitter,receiver, transmission logic, reception logic, etc.), etc.).

All of the above-mentioned U.S. patents, U.S. patent applicationpublications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patentapplications, non-patent publications referred to in this specificationand/or listed in any Application Data Sheet, or any other disclosurematerial are incorporated herein by reference, to the extent notinconsistent herewith. As such, and to the extent necessary, thedisclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflictingmaterial incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portionthereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but whichconflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosurematerial set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent thatno conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existingdisclosure material.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein describedcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussionaccompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptualclarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated.Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and theaccompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their moregeneral classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended tobe representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specificcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be takenlimiting.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates differentcomponents contained within, or connected with, different othercomponents. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures aremerely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may beimplemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality iseffectively “associated” such that the desired functionality isachieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve aparticular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each othersuch that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective ofarchitectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or“operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality,and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewedas being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but arenot limited to physically mateable and/or physically interactingcomponents, and/or wirelessly interactable, and/or wirelesslyinteracting components, and/or logically interacting, and/or logicallyinteractable components.

Some aspects may be described using the expression “coupled” and“connected” along with their derivatives. It should be understood thatthese terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. For example,some aspects may be described using the term “connected” to indicatethat two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contactwith each other. In another example, some aspects may be described usingthe term “coupled” to indicate that two or more elements are in directphysical or electrical contact. The term “coupled,” however, also maymean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with eachother, but yet still co-operate or interact with each other.

In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as“configured to,” “configurable to,” “operable/operative to,”“adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that “configured to” can generallyencompass active-state components and/or inactive-state componentsand/or standby-state components, unless context requires otherwise.

While particular aspects of the subject matter described herein havebeen shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the subject matter described herein andits broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompasswithin their scope all such changes and modifications as are within thetrue spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will beunderstood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein,and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appendedclaims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to claims containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations.

In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitationis explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that suchrecitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recitednumber (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be furtherunderstood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive wordand/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in thedescription, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplatethe possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, orboth terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “Aor B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A”or “B” or “A and B.”

With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art willappreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed inany order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in asequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may beperformed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may beperformed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may includeoverlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental,preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variantorderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like“responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives aregenerally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictatesotherwise.

In certain cases, use of a system or method may occur in a territoryeven if components are located outside the territory. For example, in adistributed computing context, use of a distributed computing system mayoccur in a territory even though parts of the system may be locatedoutside of the territory (e.g., relay, server, processor, signal-bearingmedium, transmitting computer, receiving computer, etc. located outsidethe territory).

A sale of a system or method may likewise occur in a territory even ifcomponents of the system or method are located and/or used outside theterritory. Further, implementation of at least part of a system forperforming a method in one territory does not preclude use of the systemin another territory.

Although various aspects have been described herein, many modifications,variations, substitutions, changes, and equivalents to those aspects maybe implemented and will occur to those skilled in the art. Also, wherematerials are disclosed for certain components, other materials may beused. It is therefore to be understood that the foregoing descriptionand the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications andvariations as falling within the scope of the disclosed aspects. Thefollowing claims are intended to cover all such modification andvariations.

In summary, numerous benefits have been described which result fromemploying the concepts described herein. The foregoing description ofthe one or more aspects has been presented for purposes of illustrationand description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to theprecise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible inlight of the above teachings. The one or more aspects were chosen anddescribed in order to illustrate principles and practical application tothereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the variousaspects and with various modifications as are suited to the particularuse contemplated. It is intended that the claims submitted herewithdefine the overall scope.

Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are set out inthe following numbered clauses:

1. A surgical instrument, comprising: a jaw assembly, comprising: astaple cartridge including a plurality of staples; and an anvil, whereinat least one of the staple cartridge and the anvil is movable relativeto the other one of the staple cartridge and the anvil to capture tissuetherebetween; a firing assembly configured to deploy the plurality ofstaples into the captured tissue during a firing sequence; and a handle,comprising: an actuator; and an interface; a motor cartridge, whereinthe interface is configured to releasably couple the motor cartridge tothe handle, wherein the motor cartridge comprises: an electric motoroperably coupled to the firing assembly when the motor cartridge iscoupled to the handle; and a motor control circuit, wherein the motorcontrol circuit is configured to cause the electric motor to generate atleast one rotational motion to motivate the firing assembly to deploythe plurality of staples into the captured tissue in response toactuation of the actuator; and a controller, comprising: a processor;and a computer-readable storage device storing program instructions,which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to detect amalfunction of the motor cartridge.

2. The surgical instrument of Clause 1, wherein the computer-readablestorage device is a memory.

3. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 1-2, wherein theprogram instructions when executed further cause the processor to storea damaged status of the motor cartridge in the memory after detectingthe malfunction of the motor cartridge.

4. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 1-3, further comprisingat least one user feedback element, wherein the program instructionswhen executed further cause the processor to employ the at least oneuser feedback element to alert a user of the malfunction.

5. The surgical instrument of Clause 4, wherein the program instructionswhen executed further cause the processor to employ the at least oneuser feedback element to provide instructions to the user for replacingthe motor cartridge.

6. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 1-5, further comprisinga power source, wherein the program instructions when executed furthercause the processor to stop power transmission from the power source tothe motor cartridge after detecting the malfunction of the motorcartridge.

7. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 1-6, further comprisinga current sensor, wherein the program instructions when executed causethe processor to employ the current sensor in the detection themalfunction of the motor cartridge.

8. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 1-7, further comprisinga motor cartridge replacement feedback element, wherein the programinstructions when executed cause the processor to employ the motorcartridge replacement feedback element to detect replacement of themotor cartridge.

9. The surgical instrument of Clause 8, wherein the motor cartridgereplacement feedback element is a pressure sensor.

10. A surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector; a drive assemblyoperably coupled to the end effector; a replaceable motor cartridge,comprising: a motor control circuit board; and a motor; a main controlcircuit board, comprising; a processor; and a computer-readable storagedevice storing program instructions, which when executed by theprocessor, cause the processor to detect a malfunction of the motorcartridge; and an interface, comprising: a mechanical interface portionconfigured to releasably couple the motor to the drive assembly; and anelectrical interface portion configured to releasably couple the motorcontrol circuit board to the main control circuit board.

11. The surgical instrument of Clause 10, wherein the replaceable motorcartridge further comprises another motor.

12. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 10-11, wherein thecomputer-readable storage device is a memory.

13. The surgical instrument of Clause 12, wherein the programinstructions when executed further cause the processor to store adamaged status of the motor cartridge in the memory after detecting themalfunction of the motor cartridge.

14. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 10-13, furthercomprising at least one user feedback element, wherein the programinstructions when executed further cause the processor to employ the atleast one user feedback element to alert a user of the malfunction.

15. The surgical instrument of Clause, wherein the program instructionswhen executed further cause the processor to employ the at least oneuser feedback element to provide instructions to the user for replacingthe motor cartridge.

16. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 10-15, furthercomprising a power source, wherein the program instructions whenexecuted further cause the processor to stop power transmission from thepower source to the motor cartridge after detecting the malfunction ofthe motor cartridge.

17. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 10-16, furthercomprising a current sensor, wherein the program instructions whenexecuted cause the processor to employ the current sensor in thedetection the malfunction of the motor cartridge.

18. The surgical instrument of any one of Clauses 10-17, furthercomprising a motor cartridge replacement feedback element, wherein theprogram instructions when executed cause the processor to employ themotor cartridge replacement feedback element to detect replacement ofthe motor cartridge.

19. The surgical instrument of Clause 18, wherein the motor cartridgereplacement feedback element is a pressure sensor.

20. A surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector; a drive assemblyoperably coupled to the end effector; replaceable high current elements,comprising: a motor control circuit; and a motor; low current elements,comprising; at least one feedback element; a controller, comprising: aprocessor; and a computer-readable storage device storing programinstructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processorto detect a malfunction of the high current elements; and an interface,comprising: a mechanical interface portion configured to releasablycouple the motor to the drive assembly; and an electrical interfaceportion configured to releasably couple the motor control circuit to thecontroller.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A surgical system, comprising: an enclosure,comprising: a motor cartridge removably positionable in the enclosureand removably couplable with the surgical system, comprising: a firstmotor comprising a first drive shaft; a first motor control circuit inelectrical communication with the first motor and configured to controlthe first motor; a second motor comprising a second drive shaft; and asecond motor control circuit in electrical communication with the secondmotor and configured to control the second motor; and a drive assemblyremovably couplable with the motor cartridge, wherein the drive assemblycomprises: a first rotatable input configured to be driven by the firstdrive shaft; a second rotatable input configured to be driven by thesecond drive shaft; a first rotatable output configured to provide afirst control motion; a second rotatable output configured to provide asecond control motion; and a third rotatable output configured toprovide a third control motion.
 22. The surgical system of claim 21,further comprising a motor cartridge detection system configured todetect the presence of the motor cartridge coupled with the surgicalsystem.
 23. The surgical system of claim 22, wherein when the motorcartridge detection system is configured to prevent application of powerto the motor cartridge from a power source when the motor cartridge isnot coupled to the surgical system.
 24. The surgical system of claim 21,wherein the enclosure comprises a motor cartridge access door movablebetween an open position and a closed position, and wherein the motorcartridge is positionable in the enclosure through the motor cartridgeaccess door.
 25. The surgical system of claim 24, further comprising amotor cartridge access door detection system configured to detect themotor cartridge access door in the closed position.
 26. The surgicalsystem of claim 25, wherein when the motor cartridge access doordetection system is configured to prevent application of power to themotor cartridge from a power source when the motor cartridge access dooris not in the closed position.
 27. The surgical system of claim 21,wherein the drive assembly comprises a function selector module, whereinfirst rotatable input is configured to transition the function selectormodule between a first configuration, wherein the second rotatable inputis operably engaged with the first rotatable output, a secondconfiguration, wherein the second rotatable input is operably engagedwith the second rotatable output, and a third configuration, wherein thesecond rotatable input is operably engaged with the third rotatableoutput.
 28. The surgical system of claim 21, wherein the enclosurefurther comprises a power source, and wherein the power source isconfigured to deliver power to the motor cartridge.
 29. The surgicalsystem of claim 28, further comprising a current sensor, wherein thecurrent sensor is configured to monitor a current flow from the powersource to the motor cartridge.
 30. The surgical system of claim 29,further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured toprevent the power source from delivering power to the motor cartridgewhen the current flow is outside of a predetermined current flow range.31. A surgical system, comprising: a drive assembly, comprising: afunction selector input; a drive input; a first rotatable outputconfigured to provide a first control motion; a second rotatable outputconfigured to provide a second control motion; a third rotatable outputconfigured to provide a third control motion; and a function selectormodule configured to be driven by the function selector input between afirst position, wherein the first rotatable output is drivable by thedrive input, a second position, wherein the second rotatable output isdrivable by the drive input, and a third position, wherein the thirdrotatable output is drivable by the drive input; and a motor cartridgeremovably couplable with the surgical system and the drive assembly,wherein the motor cartridge comprises: a first motor comprising a firstdrive shaft, wherein the first motor is configured to drive the functionselector input; a first control circuit configured to control the firstmotor; a second motor comprising a second drive shaft, wherein thesecond motor is configured to drive the drive input; and a secondcontrol circuit configured to control the second motor.
 32. The surgicalsystem of claim 31, further comprising a housing, wherein the driveassembly and the motor cartridge are positioned in the housing.
 33. Thesurgical system of claim 32, wherein the housing comprises an accessdoor movable between an open position and a closed position, and whereinthe motor cartridge is removable from the housing through the accessdoor.
 34. The surgical system of claim 33, further comprising an accessdoor detection system configured to detect the access door in the closedposition.
 35. The surgical system of claim 34, wherein when the accessdoor detection system is configured to prevent application of power tothe motor cartridge from a power source when the access door is not inthe closed position.
 36. The surgical system of claim 31, furthercomprising a motor cartridge detection system configured to detect thepresence of the motor cartridge coupled with the surgical system. 37.The surgical system of claim 36, wherein when the motor cartridgedetection system is configured to prevent application of power to themotor cartridge from a power source when the motor cartridge is notcoupled to the surgical system.
 38. The surgical system of claim 31,further comprising a power source and a current sensor, wherein thepower source is operably coupled with the motor cartridge, and whereinthe current sensor is configured to monitor a current flow from thepower source to the motor cartridge.
 39. The surgical system of claim38, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller isconfigured to prevent the power source from delivering power to themotor cartridge when the current flow is outside of a predeterminedcurrent flow range.